Thawing frozen seafood mix is a lot of work

Question

I buy 1-lb bags of frozen seafood mix from Trader Joe’s. It includes shrimp, calamari, and scallops. I usually want to fry it in a pan, so I first need to thaw it and remove as much water as I can — otherwise it becomes boiling (or soup) instead of frying.

My process right now is:

1. Separate the 1-lb bag into two bowls
2. Put both bowls in the microwave oven in “defrost” mode, which takes about 9 minutes.
3. Drain the water from both bowls. Mix the seafood in the bowl to make thawing more uniform.
4. Put both bowls in the microwave oven for another round of defrost mode.
5. Drain the water from both bowls. Mix the seafood.
6. Put both bowls in the microwave one more time for another round of defrost.
7. Drain again.

That seems like a lot of work, taking about half an hour before I even begin cooking it! I find it hard to believe that everyone who buys this mix goes through this — but I really do get a lot of water after each round of defrosting, so I don’t think I can skip it.

Am I thawing this seafood in the best way?

Answer 1

Any time you cook the seafood mix it will shed moisture, which it has a lot of and probably on the outside of it as well. I love that mix and I just soak it in a bowl of cold water then drain it. If you keep driving the moisture out before you use it, it will be shriveled up and dry. As you simmer it over time, the level of moisture you want to drive out of it will steam off.